The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-144885 filed on May 17, 2000 including specification, claims, drawings, and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing plate changing device for discharging a printing plate held on a plate cylinder of a printing press.
2. Description of Related Art
As a conventional printing plate changing device for discharging a printing plate held on a plate cylinder of a printing press, a device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3032484 is known.
The printing plate changing device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3032484 is provided at a location near a plate cylinder and comprises a plate-shaped guiding surface in order to guide a printing plate discharged from the plate cylinder to a holding member.
In the printing plate changing device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3032484, a bent portion of the printing plate discharged from the plate cylinder is apt to be caught by an end portion at a plate cylinder side of the plate-shaped guide surface. In such a case, the printing plate cannot be discharged.
An object of the present invention is to provide a printing plate changing device that can reliably discharge a printing plate attached to a plate cylinder.
To solve the above problem, a printing plate changing device according to the present invention comprises a guiding member for guiding a printing plate discharged from a plate cylinder, the guiding member being provided at a position near the plate cylinder on which the printing plate is attached, wherein the printing plate has a bent portion at a front end portion; discharge means for moving the printing plate discharged from the plate cylinder toward a downstream side towards a discharged printing plate storing direction; and a discharged printing plate releasing means for releasing the bent portion at the front end portion of the printing plate, discharged from the plate cylinder, from an end portion at the plate cylinder side of the guiding member.
To attain the above object, in a printing plate changing device according to the present invention, the discharged printing plate releasing means may be provided at a portion near an end portion of the guiding member at a side of the plate cylinder.
To attain the above object, the printing plate changing device according to the present invention may also comprise discharged printing plate storing means for storing the printing plate discharged from the plate cylinder, and new printing plate storing means for storing a printing plate supplied to the plate cylinder, wherein the discharged printing plate releasing means is a straddle member movable between a discharged printing plate guide position for guiding the printing plate discharged from the plate cylinder to the discharged printing plate storing means and a new printing plate guide position for guiding the printing plate from the new printing plate storing means to the plate cylinder and the straddle member, and releases the bent portion at the front end of the printing plate discharged from the plate cylinder from the end portion of the plate cylinder of the guiding member in accordance with the movement from the discharged printing plate guide position to the new printing plate guide position.
To attain the above object, a printing plate changing device according to the present invention may also comprise a discharged printing plate movement restricting member provided at the downstream side of the discharge means and restricts movement of the printing plate towards a downstream of the printing plate storing direction, and moves with the printing plate moved by the discharge means.
To solve the above problem, a printing plate changing device according to the present invention may comprise a discharged printing plate engagement member for engaging with a bent portion at a rear end portion of the printing plate to move the printing plate toward a downstream side towards a discharged printing plate storing direction.
To attain the above object, a printing plate changing device according to the present invention comprise a moving member supported on the discharged printing plate movement restricting member, the moving member being movable in a downstream side towards a discharged printing plate storing direction.